Appeals

The attorneys at Galluzzo & Arnone LLP are polished appellate advocates with strong backgrounds in the practice area. In fact, Matthew Galluzzo and Eric Arnone both began their professional careers as appellate lawyers in the Appeals Bureau of the New York County District Attorney’s Office. In that role, they spent years researching complex questions of criminal law, responding to appellate motions, writing and editing appellate response briefs in state and federal courts, and orally arguing dozens of appeals before panels of appellate judges. Unlike many appellate lawyers, however, they also have extensive experience as trial lawyers. Indeed, that experience - gleaned from having dozens of jury trials to verdict – makes them particularly effective at spotting and understanding appealable issues that may have arisen during a trial. Furthermore, their experience is not limited solely to criminal issues as they have both worked as civil litigators at two of Manhattan’s top litigation firms. Most importantly though, they have experience winning complex cases in New York's highest appellate courts.

Thus, if you or a family member have been convicted of a crime in New York state or federal court, you should consider hiring Galluzzo & Arnone LLP to examine the complete record of what happened and give you an objective opinion of the strength of a potential appeal. In addition, we can help you appeal or defend a civil judgment in state or federal court. You may have been perfectly satisfied with the representation of the prior attorney that worked on the case at the trial level, but there are significant advantages to having a meticulous appellate practitioner evaluate the case with fresh eyes and a new perspective. Moreover, we are prepared to assist trial attorneys that may not have the expertise or the time to thoroughly delve into the appellate issues and prepare the necessary written briefs.

To learn more about the basics of pursuing an appeal of a state court criminal conviction, click here.

Recent representative appellate cases include:

A victory in a landmark Court of Appeals case involving the definition of an "enterprise" under the Enterprise Corruption statute. The Enterprise Corruption charges against our client were dismissed in their entirety by New York's highest appellate court. More on this interesting case here.

Reversal of a rape conviction on appeal. G&J argued that his trial attorney had a conflict of interest in that his attorney's firm represented a co-defendant and primary witness against him. The text of the decision is available here. Notably, Matthew Galluzzo then represented the young man on his subsequent trial and earned a full acquittal on all charges. The newspaper article about that trial is available here.

Motions to vacate convictions on Padilla grounds, meaning that the defendants had not been made aware of the negative immigration consequences of their pleas.

Mr. Galluzzo and his team at G&J are absolutely one of the best at what they do. The work tirelessly at getting the best possible result for the case at hand and they truly care about their clients. Galluzzo and his team were able to overturn and vacate my guilty plea, then taking a big risk where I could have faced a large amount of time in prison Galluzzo took my case to trial. He walked in there with the confidence and swagger as if he already knew everything would work out for me, he laid out every single fact and hole in the prosecutions case to the jury and came away with a full acquittal on every charge after just one hour of deliberations. In an instant, I had my life back! I would most certainly recommend Matthew and his team to anyone in need of legal help. Thanks again Matt! Client

★★★★★

Eric was a great asset to have on my side during a recent case. We had an initial phone discussion in which Eric talked about my specific situation, possible outcomes, and process. He was extremely knowledgeable, diligent and kept me up to speed throughout the ordeal. I would highly recommend Eric if you ever need an attorney in NYC. Client

★★★★★

I want to thank you again for all the energy that you expended on behalf of our children during the weekend – your presence by their sides reassured them throughout this traumatic experience and reduced their suffering. Client